Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 3

Written Answers. - National Development Plan.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

396 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the sections and division of the European Commission involved in assisting and/or monitoring the implementation of those aspects of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility; the name of the senior EU official with responsibility for that role; the number of meetings that have taken place since the publication of the national development plan between officials of his Department and the relevant officials of the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5614/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

397 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will state that section of the national development plan for which he has responsibility for implementation, the number of consultants who have been hired by his Department to assist with the design or implementation of the national development plan; the projects upon which they are engaged; the cost of those projects; the approximate professional fee cost which the consultants will charge his Department on completion of the consultancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5630/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

398 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the aspect of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility; the precise number of projects which are a part of that section of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility; the number of personnel in his Department working full-time and part-time on the national development plan; their grade within the Civil Service; the budgeted cost for each project; the timetable for its implementation; the stage at which it is; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5648/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

399 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the number of groups, both statutory and non-statutory but excluding local authorities, with which his Department is in regular contact or consultation in respect of the implementation of that section of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5664/01]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

400 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will outline, in respect of that section of the national development plan for which his Department has responsibility, the number of potential public private partnerships that have been identified; the number that are under active consideration; the name, location and poten tial cost of such projects; if any exchange of letters has taken place; if any other initial firm commitment has been entered into with prospective private providers; the approximate capital value of all projects so identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5690/01]

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 to 400, inclusive, together.

Under the National Development Plan, 2000-06 my Department has lead responsibility for the design and launch of programmes for investment totalling £800 million in three distinct areas: tourism initiatives, regional sport and recreational facilities, and local development initiatives. It also has responsibility for contributing to the monitoring of progress on those programmes.

Each of these areas falls into a number of measures and sub-measures which fall respectively within the following operational programmes. The productive sector operational programme contains a tourism marketing measure for which £150 million has been provided and which comprises two sub-measures, destination marketing and niche marketing.

The employment and human resource development operational programme contains tourism training for which there is an allocation of £107 million and which comprises three sub-measures, transition from second level education to job placement within the tourism industry, provision of training and employment interventions at national, regional and local levels for the unemployed, women returning to paid employment, early school leavers and the socially excluded, and facilitation of improving and maintaining the highest operational standards in tourism and the provision of training or development intervention for persons already working in industry with the primary focus on human resource management and operational best practice.

The regional operational programmes for the southern and eastern and Border, midlands and western regions each contain tourism product development among their local enterprise priorities for which there is an allocation of £100 million and which comprises three sub-measures, development of major attractors and clusters of existing attractions, special interest pursuits and tourism-environment management. Operational guidelines are being prepared by Bord Fáilte in consultation with my Department and therefore no project proposals have yet been invited.

The BMW and S and E regional operational programmes also contain a sports and recreational sub-measure within their respective local infrastructure sub-programme, in respect of which £85 million is provided. The commencement of this initiative is dependent on the completion of the national spatial strategy and the identification of regional gateways. This is scheduled to be later this year.

The social inclusion and child care sub-programme of the S and E and BMW regional oper ational programmes contain local development measures for which £360 million has been provided. These provide for local implementing agencies, such as area-based partnership companies, community groups and local drugs task forces, to adopt a partnership approach to tackling local issues on the basis of comprehensive, integrated local action plans designed to counter social exclusion and the related problem of drug misuse in urban areas.

The involvement of the European Commission is largely at operational programme level and this is the responsibility of the relevant managing authorities. The managing authorities for the S and E and BMW regional operational programmes are the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly and the Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly respectively. The managing authority for both the productive sector operational programme and the employment and human resources development operational programme is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. They have been responsible respectively for the drafting of the operational programmes and programme complements with appropriate input from the various Departments, including my own. They have led negotiations and discussions with the European Commission and are also responsible for the overall monitoring of the operational programmes. As a result, direct contact at senior EU official level regarding measures under the NDP have been with the management authorities, advised by the various Departments.

Apart from the tourism product development measure, all NDP initiatives for which this Department has responsibility are totally funded by the Exchequer. No consultants were hired by the Department specifically to assist with the design or implementation of the Department's NDP initiatives, although there were detailed negotiations with the various implementing agencies and interested parties. Experience under the previous two CSF programmes was also taken into account.

The NDP initiatives for which this Department has responsibility involve practically every section of the Department although the work carried out on the NDP is only part of the day to day work of the staff in these sections, falling within the duties of two assistant secretaries, five principal officers, six assistant principal officers, two higher executive officers or administrative officers and one executive officer. This excludes support from corporate services.

In addition to the managing authorities, the groups with which the Department is in regular contact or consultation regarding the implementation of the measures of the NDP for which it has responsibility are Bord Fáilte, CERT, Area Development Management Limited, the national drugs strategy team and the national advisory committee on drugs.

No public-private partnerships are under consideration or have been identified as potential possibilities. However, decisions in relation to tourism marketing funding are taken in consultation with the Tourism Marketing Partnership, which is a private-public arrangement.